Sixty people spent an uncomfortable night bedding down in cardboard shelters but it was all in a good cause.

Even the bad overnight weather didn’t send the kindhearted “rough sleepers”, who were taking part in Launchpad’s Big Sleep Out on Friday, running for their beds.

And their valiant efforts have so far raised more than £18,000 for the Reading-based charity, which helps homeless and vulnerable people turn their lives around.

The Big Sleep Out was held at Queen Anne’s School, in Henley Road, Caversham, where a Build Your Own Shelter competition helped keep spirits high.

Teams from Clifton Ingram Solicitors, Calcot Services for Children, and Dexter Montague took part, along with mental health campaigner Paul Farmer, and Reading Buses’ marketing and communications manager Jake Osman, who was particularly moved by an interview with a Launchpad client.

Mr Osman said: “The Big Sleep Out was definitely a challenge. Extremely uncomfortable, but bearable as you are safe in the knowledge that it is just for one night. The camaraderie of the ‘big sleepers’ was fantastic, and hearing an account from one of Launchpad’s clients who has turned his life around was both inspiring and touching.

“It has opened my eyes to the stark reality of sleeping rough – doing it ‘safely’ for one night was bad enough, so you can’t imagine having to do it on your own every night. It really hits home what great work Launchpad do and how their work is so vital to helping the homeless of Reading to get a roof over their heads and support to get back into society.”

The Clifton Ingram team – chairman Jonathan Davis, solicitors Lewis Djemal and Jenny Stevens, trainee Joel Molloy and support staff Kate Bailey and Melissa Baxter – more than doubled their fundraising target by raising in excess of £1,500.

Mr Davis said: “We volunteered to give up our beds for a night, not to find out what it is like to be homeless, although we got a tiny glimpse, but to raise funds for and awareness of the vulnerable people in our area and help them get their lives back on track. We’d like to thank everyone who sponsored us.”

A number of Reading Borough councillors also slept rough, including the Green Party’s Rob White and Labour’s Rachel Eden and Richard Davies.

And Reading mayor Councillor Tony Jones judged the Build Your Own Shelter competition, which was won by Launchpad supporter Alistair Jackson.

Launchpad marketing manager Amanda Rose said: “We were absolutely thrilled to be supported by individuals, groups of families and friends, including those of long-time Launchpad supporter Lizzie Lee, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Lizzie’s family and friends slept out and fundraised in her memory and have raised almost £2,000.